The former USMNT star has issued a warning to the USMNT squad that they risk squandering their potential if they fail to make an impact

• Gomez emphasizes need to achieve at 2026 World Cup
• Points to unfulfilled potential
• Comments come amid growing concerns

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  WHAT HAPPENED

  Following the USMNT’s poor performances at the CONCACAF Nations League and Mauricio Pochettino’s recent comments about 'responsibility and commitment' former U.S. international Herculez Gomez delivered a pointed critique of the current team's potential.

  Gomez said the supposed “Golden Generation” risks becoming the “Wasted Generation." He also expressed frustration with the team's performance and believes it’s cause for concern.

  “I think he’s saying some players are going to be in trouble,” Gomez said on. “It’s not about talent, you gotta bring in that effort and mentality, which is a massive red flag. We heard it from Tyler Adams not too long ago about how those criticizing the USMNT’s mentality and players who don’t care are 100 percent correct, it looks like they don’t care. Now we hear the USMNT head coach, manager, saying we need the right characters, and it’s not just about talent, there needs to be investment and fight.

  “If a year out from the World Cup, the bare minimum they are asking is for effort, for mentality, for fight, the US is screwed. The USMNT a year out from the World Cup, this Golden Generation they’re in danger of becoming the Wasted Generation. That’s what they’re going to be known for, the generation that had everything that couldn’t get it done, the Wasted Generation. You say it, and people are going to be like ‘That’s what they are right now’ because they can only beat Mexico. They have nothing of worth if it’s not Mexico. Not one victory of worth, they’re victory right now is a tie against England.”

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• WHAT HERCULEZ GOMEZ SAID

  He also warned that merely advancing from the group stage in the 2026 World Cup is not enough because that’s the bare minimum for a national team.

  “Many national teams get out of the group phase of the World Cup. That is nothing to hang your hat on, this team was given everything. [In] 2018, you don’t make the World Cup? They gave – they handed out national team appearances to a bunch of kids to give them growth. To give them what they needed, what they felt they needed to be the team at this (2026) World Cup. They were handed opportunities, they didn’t earn those, they were handed opportunities,” Gomez said.

  “You used to had to fight like hell for a cap, they were gifted those. Now they’re in the position right now, of a home World Cup, and it looks like they don’t care? And the manager is saying we just need the right characters?”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The USMNT has experienced mixed results in recent years despite having more players at top European clubs than ever before. Their inconsistent performances in qualifying campaigns and international tournaments have raised questions about whether technical ability is being properly complemented by the competitive mentality required to succeed.

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  WHAT’S NEXT?

  The next chance that Mauricio Pochettino has to assess his players and for the USMNT to impress fans again will be at the 2025 Gold Cup, which begins from June 14.

ENIC could be forced to reduce their valuation of a Tottenham Hotspur takeover by £750 million, handing private Qatari investors a potential boost in their plans to buy the club in the form of a phased buyout.

Qatari consortium hatch plan to buy Tottenham

The Guardian and journalist Matt Hughes broke news earlier this week that unnamed private Qatari investors, who are not linked to Sheikh Jassim or the government-backed QSI, are hatching plans to instigate an eventual takeover of Spurs.

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The possible acquisition of ENIC’s majority shares could apparently come through the form of a phased buyout, and it is believed that these Middle Eastern investors could keep hold of chairman Daniel Levy in a long-term club management role, in a controversial move considering how divisive the board chief is right now.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Man United (home)

February 16th

Ipswich Town (away)

February 22nd

Man City (home)

February 26th

Bournemouth (home)

March 9th

Fulham (away)

March 16th

While Spurs sources insist that they’re not currently involved in takeover negotiations, this group of private Qatari bidders are apparently “seeking to buy” Tottenham, (The Guardian), so the prospect of the Lilywhites eventually gaining new ownership appears to be getting more and more real.

This comes as supporters plan more protests against Levy and ENIC after Spurs’ clash with Man United in the Premier League on Sunday. Protest group ‘change for Tottenham’ released an online poster in the build up to this weekend.

“No matter the result, applaud the players as they leave the pitch. Show them our appreciation for their efforts.

“Once the players have left the pitch, remain in the stadium and gather in the South Stand lower for a sit-in protest. From there, we will make it clear to the board – who will hear us from their luxury lounge – that enough is enough.”

Previous reports have claimed that ENIC value Tottenham at up to £4.5 billion, whilst other more recent reports state that the value of a takeover would be around £3.75 billion.

Tottenham forced into potential £750 million takeover discount

Now, according to Football Insider, it is believed this figure could drop by a further amount. Indeed, a Tottenham takeover would now likely be worth up to £3 billion – around £750 million below ENIC’s current price of £3.75 billion – with interested parties apparently unwilling to shell out the latter figure.

Interestingly, former Everton CEO Keith Wyness recently suggested that the interest from Qatar in Spurs has been there for quite some time, and parties from that state could now pay less for a full acquisition of the club.

“There’s no doubt there is real interest from Qatar,” said Wyness. “I think a London club like Spurs fit the profile, but the problem is with PSG and how they’d handle that with the Champions League rules. But at the moment, Spurs aren’t threatening to make the Champions League.

“Qatar like to invest in clubs with big assets, like the new stadium. I do think it would work. We might see something develop out of this.”

كشف أحمد شوبير، حارس مرمى الأهلي الأسبق، موعد تولي جوزيه ريفيرو مهمة قيادة فريق الكرة بالقلعة الحمراء خلال الفترة المقبلة بعد انتهاء منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري.

واستطاع الأهلي الفوز بسداسية نظيفة على فاركو، ساعدته في التتويج بلقب الدوري المصري للمرة الـ45 في تاريخه والثالثة على التوالي.

وكان الأهلي قد استقر على تعيين ريفيرو مدربًا لفريق الكرة خلال الفترة المقبلة، وذلك بعد رحيل مارسيل كولر بعد خروجه من منافسات دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وقال أحمد شوبير في تصريحات إذاعية عبر آثير اون سبورت اف ام: “تقرر استمرار محمد شوقي في الجهاز الفني الجديد، وكذلك محمد يوسف بمنصب المدير الرياضي”.

وأكمل: “ريفيرو سيتولى مهمة قيادة مران الأهلي بداية من يوم السبت المقبل، وتم اكتمال جهازه بالكامل ومعه مدرب حراس مرمى أجنبي وليس جنوب إفريقي كما تم تداوله”.

طالع | هل أبلغه بالرحيل؟ .. عماد النحاس يكشف تفاصيل حديثه مع الخطيب وعلي معلول

وتابع: “المدرب يرغب في ضم 26 لاعبًا فقط في قائمة الأهلي بكأس العالم، ورغم أن هناك سماحًا بـ تواجد أكثر من هذا العدد ولكنه لا يرغب في ضم لاعبين أكثر من 26 ليحافظ على تركيزه معهم، ولا نعلم هل سيوافق الأهلي على ذلك أم لا”.

واختتم: “علي معلول سيكون مسؤولية ريفيرو من أجل تحديد مستقبله مع الأهلي، خاصة بعد انتهاء عقده مع النادي، واللاعب انهار من البكاء بعد انتهاء مباراة فاركو، في الغرف المغلقة وهو لديه إحساس أنه الموسم الأخير له ولكن (متضمنش حاجة)”.

وينتظر الأهلي مهمة خاصة بالمشاركة في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025، التي تستضيفها الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية بنظامها الجديد الموسع، بتواجد 32 فريقًا من حول العالم، خلال الفترة من 14 يونيو 2025 إلى 13 يوليو 2025.

Real Madrid TV have launched a fresh attack on another referee ahead of their crunch La Liga clash with Celta Vigo.

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Real Madrid TV repeatedly slam referees Latest attack on official ahead of Celta Vigo gameWas at heart of "biggest refereeing scandal"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The club's TV channel has a history of going after referees and questioning decisions that go against them. Now, they have turned their ire towards Gil Manzano, who will referee their upcoming clash with Celta Vigo in La Liga.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT REAL MADRID TV SAID

In a new video, Madrid's TV channel describes Manzano as "the referee at the centre of the biggest refereeing scandal in recent times."

This was in reference to when Jude Bellingham's goal against Valencia, last season, was disallowed because it came after the final whistle.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Despite Madrid TV's protests, Sport states the Spanish giants have won 40 of the 52 matches when Manzano has been in charge. The antics of Los Blancos' channel is, arguably, not a good look for the club and La Liga.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Madrid, who sit four points behind league leaders Barcelona, host Celta Vigo on Sunday as they try to close the gap on their bitter rivals.

As Wolverhampton Wanderers look to navigate their way to Premier League safety, they’ve been forced to turn their attention towards the summer once again with another player reportedly attracting European interest.

Wolves transfer news

The Midlands club remain just two points clear of the dropzone with a trip to Anfield awaiting them this weekend, which could yet see them drop straight back into the bottom three.

With just 14 games remaining in the Premier League campaign too, Vitor Pereira’s side can ill-afford another poor run of form having only recently enjoyed back-to-back victories over rivals Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup.

It came as no surprise to see Matheus Cunha finding the back of the net against Blackburn Rovers not long after he put pen to paper on a new Wolves contract, which includes a £60m release clause.

It’s a clause which guarantees Wolves a hefty fee when clubs inevitably come calling this summer, but also one that will force them out of the Brazilian’s way should he choose to depart. What could then make matters worse is if he’s not the only player heading for the exit door.

According to SIC commentator Luis Aguilar, there is a possibility that Nelson Semedo returns to Benfica to reunite with former Wolves manager Bruno Lage this summer.

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The Benfica boss is reportedly in the market for a new right-back and with Semedo coming to the end of his current contract this summer, the deal could be too simple to turn down.

If they were to lose their right-back, Wolves would be bidding farewell to their second captain in a matter of months after showing former captain Mario Lemina the door to Galatasaray during the recent January transfer window.

Wolves must keep "important" Semedo

Whilst the focus will be transfixed on the future of Cunha this summer, Wolves must also do everything in their power to extend Semedo’s contract and prevent the departure of another captain. The last thing that Pereira’s side need is a third captain in the space of one year, highlighting just how frantic everything has been for those in the Midlands since the beginning of the campaign.

Dubbed “important” by former Wolves boss and current Benfica boss Lage, it will certainly be interesting to see whether Semedo decides to reunite with his old club and manager this summer.

At 31 years old, Semedo’s next move – like many – may well depend on Wolves’ Premier League status. In the face of relegation, a move back to Portugal will suddenly become all the more tempting.

Meanwhile, if Wolves stay up, Semedo will remain the captain of a Premier League side and among Pereira’s key men in the Midlands. With just two points separating themselves and the relegation zone, those at the Molineux are already seeing the potential consequences of relegation.

As the months tick by, Wolves are facing a nervous wait as Semedo continues to deliberate over a new deal.

Josh Hazlewood was given the chance in second ODI against England, adding to the list of Australia’s recent leaders

Andrew McGlashan19-Nov-2022

Australia will look to expand their ODI captaincy pool over the next 12 months, with the likelihood that a variety of different players will stand in for Pat Cummins when needed after Josh Hazlewood took the role in Sydney.Hazlewood, who had never captained in a professional game but was previously an ODI vice-captain, stepped in against England when Cummins rested, having led his first game in the format in Adelaide two days ago. He is now set to be the frontrunner if the same situation arises again – Cummins is likely to return for the final match in Melbourne on Tuesday – but given he may also need to be rested as a multi-format bowler, others could come into the frame.”At this stage, probably yes,” Hazlewood said if this move now made him first-choice behind Cummins. “It’s hard to say, I’m a fast bowler, and I’ll probably be missing games here and there as well.”We’ve obviously got [Steven] Smith, who was vice-captain tonight, and down the chain, there’s another couple in the leadership group. So there’s plenty of options there and I felt even out in the middle there were a number of senior players I could talk to and get their opinions.”At the toss, Hazlewood had spoken of a “wider leadership group”, with Cummins himself saying when he took the job that he believed a broader collection of captains could work in ODIs in the lead-up to next year’s World Cup in India.”Test cricket is a different story,” Hazlewood said after the match. “There’s one captain and it’s his team, whereas the one-dayers and T20s you’ve often got a different looking group and a different looking senior group. I think it’s a good model, and I think it’s working so far.”Hazlewood admitted to taking a little while to settle in the field – his first two overs conceded 21 – and reckoned he would have to go back to school cricket for his last time captaining a side.”It was pretty exciting first of all and a little bit nerve-wracking,” he said. “But once we got into a stride on the field, it was good fun. I certainly enjoyed it, and it was a bit of a challenge there while that partnership was going and then we got a couple of wickets and that set the game up.”I was thinking about everyone else’s bowling rather than my own at the start but got into a groove there. And then everything seemed to flow pretty well. But all in all, you leave it up to the bowlers. They know the delivery they want to bowl and they own their field and they own their result as well. So there weren’t any times I had to step in at all or argue, so it was smooth sailing.”While Cummins has opted out of IPL 2023 in order to focus on being fresh for international duty, he is expected to be further rotated in the one-day side. When asked about the potential length of his ODI captaincy before this series, Cummins said he was not looking beyond the World Cup and the expectation is he will not retain the role after that, heading into another four-year cycle.The decision to choose Hazlewood as stand-in meant that he jumped ahead of other names who have recently captained Australia. Alex Carey stood in for an injured Aaron Finch on the tour of the West Indies last year, leading the side to a 2-1 series win, and Smith deputised for Cummins during the last Ashes at home when he was ruled out of the Adelaide Test due to being a close Covid contact.”I don’t expect Pat to play every one-day game in the lead up to the World Cup,” selection chair George Bailey had said when Cummins was announced ODI captain. “We’ve got a number of players within the group who can assume the leadership should they need to. So I expect we might see two or three guys taking the leadership at some stage.”We are moving away from this concept of a captain taking over and their leadership being all encompassing. It’s very much a collaboration at times.”David Warner could also be an option in the future should his leadership ban be overturned, with a decision on that expected in the near future. Travis Head, who captains South Australia and Adelaide Strikers, could be another candidate.However, the future of Australia’s T20I captaincy remains up in the air. Finch has said he won’t make a decision on his career until after the BBL, but he is not expected to continue through the 2024 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has admitted that the team will miss Martin Guptill, who has chosen not to take up a central contract and has subsequently been released by NZC. The 36-year old opener has joined a growing group of New Zealand players looking to explore career opportunities outside the country.The proliferation of franchise cricket is such that there is a T20 league for virtually every month of the year now, presenting an attractive package for many cricketers. Trent Boult, James Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme have all opted to pursue that line of work leaving New Zealand with a bit of a juggling act.Related

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“Obviously, he has made a decision to explore a few other options,” Williamson said, “But as a player and as an experienced member of the group, he has added so much value over the years and been one of our best white-ball players ever.”With over 10,000 white-ball runs, Guptill has been a crucial part of New Zealand’s success but they appear to have moved on from him. He didn’t play any of their games at the T20 World Cup and was dropped from the squad altogether for the ongoing India series.Williamson was appreciative of Guptill taking those calls in stride. “Without getting a playing opportunity, he was outstanding and offering to all the players in the group. So, he’s been fantastic in so many areas of the environment. Absolutely, he will be missed, but like I say he’s not retired. So there’s a lot to keep working through over the next period to get a real feel for how the picture looks.”It is learnt that Guptill may be in line for a BBL deal with the new season starting in December. Boult already has one with the Melbourne Stars, following which he will be in the UAE playing for MI Emirates. De Grandhomme is retired, the announcement coming soon after his name unexpectedly popped up at the BBL draft earlier this year. Neesham is the only one of the four currently in the team preparing to face India on Friday.While NZC have stressed that they’d like to give preference to players who are under contract when picking their squads, Williamson understood that the situation has changed and that they have to figure out a way forward that benefits both the team and the individual.”It’s just trying to strike that balance, like we’ve seen with a few other players who have also sort of looked at some of those other opportunities. It’s a bit of a moving landscape. So it’s trying to weigh that up and look at how it can all work moving forward.

Watch India tour of New Zealand live on Prime Video from Nov 18 to 30.

“Guptill hasn’t retired. He is looking at playing some other tournaments while still being available, but like I say, it’s balancing that moving forward. He’s still very motivated to keep playing and getting better. And I think that’s important for all players, even though he has played such a long, amazing career. As a mate and a team-mate over a long period of time, we had a few good chats. And it’s managing that time. As a player, you always go through different periods and you get to different stages, and you’re trying to basically manage that as best you can.”Williamson himself is facing similar questions, playing and captaining New Zealand in all three formats, but last week he reiterated his desire to keep doing so.